Mumbai docs treat pellet injuries in Kashmir

Following a spike in eye-related injuries in Kashmir after protests erupted, a Mumbai-based team of doctors, led by renowned eye-specialist Dr S Nataranjan, is working round the clock and have performed around 40 eye surgeries in the past three days.

Patients from rural Kashmir are the worst hit. With hospitals lacking sufficient manpower, some of the patients who come from far flung areas had to return home without any checkup, the doctors claim. "We have performed several Vitrectomies (an advanced surgical procedure to repair a damaged eye. Our team has been working on war-footing to ensure that the victims with pellet injuries in their eyes get the best treatment," Nataranjan told Mirror.

Natarajan says he was summoned to Kashmir by the NGO Borderless World Foundation. On getting to know about the seriousness of injuries there, the doctor rushed there to lend a helping hand. Borderless World Foundation has donated four cardiac and trauma care ambulances to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and has also conducted a series of medical camps in Kashmir Valley.

Mohammed Ramzan, father of 17-year-old Altaf (name changed) said that Natarajan operated on his son on Wednesday and hoped that they stay for longer and provide such relief to the injured. "Lots of people go outside J&K to places like Amritsar, Jalandhar and Delhi. I can't afford to take my son outside the state for treatment, after I came to know about the visiting doctors, I took my son to them. I hope he gets back his vision soon," he said

Four patients with injured eyes have already been flown by the government to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, a few days ago for specialised treatment. One patient has gone to AIIMS on his family expenditure. Earlier, a team of eye-specialists AIIMS had visited Kashmir to assist the State Government in treating people injured due to pellets.